Horse Racing
The Kentucky Derby® has long been called the “Greatest Two Minutes in Sports,” and tradition holds that the event be toasted with an ice cold Mint Julep made with Kentucky’s finest bourbon whiskey. As two of Kentucky’s most recognizable products, horseracing and bourbon have grown up together in the heart of the Bluegrass.
Horseracing in Kentucky was special because of the successful horse farms that existed throughout the Bluegrass. “Bourbon and the thoroughbred horse industry have benefited from the Bluegrass regions abundant supply of cool, mineral-rich limestone water. The cool water provided the early distilleries with natural refrigeration for storing and growing their important old fashioned jug yeasts that were used in fermentation. The water was also iron-free which is required when making good bourbon. The horses benefited from the water and the region's famous Bluegrass,” said Chris Morris, master distiller for Woodford Reserve® Bourbon and American spirits historian. What most people don’t realize is that many of the horse farms in Kentucky also housed a still for making whiskey on the same property.”
Whiskey made in Kentucky was called “Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey,” named in honor of the kings of France, a fitting tie to horseracing, frequently called the “Sport of Kings.” “Breeding horses and making whiskey were introduced to Kentucky in the 1770s,” said Morris. “The first recorded horserace in Kentucky was held in 1773 and just one or two years later the first whiskey distilleries were established. Both were brought into the Bluegrass State through the Cumberland Gap in southeastern Kentucky.”
By the early 1800s horseracing was well established as THE spectator sport throughout Kentucky. It was very social and any social occasion on the western frontier included bourbon whiskey, and a day of horseracing was no exception.
“In Louisville, where horseracing was becoming a popular pastime, it was a common sight to see horses blazing down Market Street in a race to the finish,” said Morris. “It wasn’t until angry downtown merchants protested the races that a track was sought. This was when the ties binding horseracing and bourbon became even stronger.” The races found a home at the course at Hope Distillery, a whiskey production facility based in western Louisville.
After many years of racing at tracks, like the one at Hope Distillery, the grand Churchill Downs® opened in 1875 and began to host the current day “Kentucky Derby.” James E. Pepper, then owner of the distillery that now crafts Woodford Reserve, the “Official
Bourbon of the Kentucky Derby,” had two horses run in a Kentucky Derby, both finished
in fifth place. Seventeen years after the opening of Churchill Downs, his horse “Miss Dixie” won the Kentucky Oaks.
Another whiskey distiller, W.E. Applegate, was a principal shareholder in Churchill Downs. His son, H.C., owned a distillery that produced a bourbon named Old Rosebud. Old Rosebud was also the name of his Kentucky winning thoroughbred horse.
“Brands like Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks, Kentucky Sire, Kentucky Stallion, and others have proudly trumpeted their association with horseracing in their brand names,” said Morris.
Today that tradition continues with Woodford Reserve, the “Official Bourbon of the Kentucky Derby,” and Early Times® Mint Julep, the “Official Drink of the Kentucky Derby.” As crown jewels in Kentucky’s illustrious history, the Kentucky Derby and the beloved bourbon whiskey of the Bluegrass continue to mature side-by-side.
In our own Brown family, there is a history of horseracing. W.L. Lyons Brown, Sr., our former chairman, owned a horse named Fathom who competed in the 1970 Derby. Mr. Brown’s jockey was Diane Crump, the first woman jockey to compete in the Derby.
About Woodford Reserve
Woodford Reserve, is the “Official Bourbon of the Kentucky Derby” made at the historic Woodford Reserve Distillery in Versailles, Kentucky – the heart of thoroughbred country. Woodford Reserve is one of the fine spirits produced and marketed by Brown-Forman Corporation, a diversified producer and marketer of fine quality consumer products, including Jack Daniel’s, Southern Comfort, Finlandia Vodka, Tequila Herradura, el Jimador Tequila, Canadian Mist, Fetzer and Bolla wines, and Korbel California Champagnes. Enjoy your bourbon responsibly. For more information on Woodford Reserve visit www.woodfordreserve.com.
Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 45.2% Alc. by Vol., The Woodford Reserve Distillery, Versailles, KY ©2008.
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